Start of year 2022

Kirkby touching Combe 2021

Somehow it's already near the end of the third month of 2022. The first round of GP originals is just wrapping up and we still haven't said hello yet. How rude.
We enter the 2022 season with high hopes for unrestricted top racing. Dream sheets are in for some more exotic events and new machines (as well as riders) have been hinted at through the winter.
Before we get too excited and start giving away all the juicy details: let's take a look at the sponsors who, despite everyone feeling the pinch for the last couple of years, are continuing to support the team for 2022.

A moment for our sponsors

EBC Brakes
A long standing sponsor of the team: EBC® Brakes are world leaders in friction materials that make you stop and go. This is proven by eye poppingly good brake pads and clutch plates that can hold the power of the best of our motorcycles.
Once we got used to the way our bikes now competently slows down 20 metres sooner than you initially expected, our riders are now confidently braking later and harder with these consistent consumables.



NGK Spark Plugs
NGK Spark Plugs sponsor more than half of the motogp field, numerous WSB and BSB teams so naturally we are over the moon that they chose to continue to sponsor our classic racing team. Having some of the best spark plugs on the market in your motorcycle not only gives you the confidence to push hard but makes servicing and maintaining easier too. NGK's continued support of legacy spark plugs means that every bike in the fleet runs them and most even get the option of iridium for that extra spark plug bling.


The Witham Group
From oil for your vintage tractor to paint for an oil tanker, Witham group supply the lot.
We make extensive use of their products including Motuls superb Factory line 800 2T road racing oil. We would genuinely use nothing else. In fact, read on below and you can see what Andy gets up to with a spray can full of sheeps wool grease, no really! Witham group also blend their own oils to the highest standards including race spec motor oils.

R-Tech Welding Equipment Ltd
Having a provider of high quality welding equipment from another superb British company on board has been really helpful.
We have been making extensive use of the team tig welder with Andy now successfully gluing various metal things together with the help of former team rider David Bond and Heggs. Some of the thin wall exhaust expansion chamber fabrication has come out incredibly well, a testament to the accuracy of the equipment we are working with.
From custom builds, to emergency repairs; R-tech weldings superb customer service is only a phone call away.


STAHLWILLE
When things are going wrong in the paddock, you don't have time to mess about with substandard tooling. Stahlwille are uncompromising when it comes to perfection in their tool design and manufacture. As a result we are left with no excuses when the heat is on (bar maybe blaming team mechanics Roy Dale or John Walton when they are out of ear shot). Having strong and dependable tools at your disposal is a must when performing maintenance in the paddock so these are a most welcome sight in the tool box.

RAF Central Fund
The RAF central fund, who you might previously remember as the RAF Sports Lottery, is at the core of our team of sponsors for those who are serving. The fact that our employer has a fund entirely for our moral, well being and cohesion really shows their positive attitude to sports and is something we are all very thankful for.

The central fund itself is, in part, financed by the sports lottery which all serving and previously serving personnel can play. This gives you the opportunity to support great sports such as our classic motorcycle racing, get support for your own sporting endevours, and have the chance to win up to £10,000 every week. If you haven't already, you can sign up on this link or their Facebook page which replaces the old JPA way to play. More tickets means more support for all of us and more of a chance to win for you so if you do one thing today, check on your account to see how well you ae doing.


Racing Green
Team mate and team sponsor: Andy green has a wealth of hands on knowledge and understanding when it comes to suspension. He performs custom setups to bespoke suspension modifications to suit your riding needs. A supplier and fitter of K-tech suspension, Andy has already had a huge impact of some of the best performing motorcycles in the CRMC and GP Originals.


Ragged Edge Racing
An unwanted product of racing is sometimes falling off and knowing we have a dependable bodwork supplier on hand is a great boost to the team.

Of late we do seem to be building a range of new race bikes and it is always a big day when those fairings with the teams cornflower blue already impregnated into the resin go on.


Tony Salt
Tony Salt may have sold TST but he is still the UK's only supplier of Heidenau motorcycle road racing tyres. His continued support for the team has in no small way helped us make our achievement this season.


Forcefield Body Armour
Forcefiled body armour Protect a number of our riders with their world class CE approved motorcycling body armour. From simple back protectors to full upper body armour suits, the team has made use of it all and are proud to wear these quality, British made products.

Intro

Another winter of talk about garage heaters and insulation is now behind us. Final finishing touches are being carried out on machines, or if you are Symon Woodward, you are just starting of course. Transponder batteries are on charge, we are going racing.

Lets hear a few words from some of our riders.

Start of year 2022




#14 Green
This year sets a new focus, moving away from the 250 Air-cooled class. The focus will be racing the TZ350 with GP Originals. Whilst the CRMC will see a mix of both the 250 Rotax and the 350 Aermacchi. Work dependent will also see a trip to Ireland on the roads to compete on the 350 Aermacchi.

Winter has been a relaxed period with very little work required other than dyno work on the spare engine for the Aermacchi. The majority of the winter garage time has revolved around restoration work on the car before the summer arrives. It has reminded myself why I prefer working on motorcycles.

The TZ just required a cylinder head swap to fit the insert head and some cleaning after its last outing.

The biggest test will be the 250 Rotax as I have not yet raced it. The pre-season work has revolved around moving set units and foot pegs to allow myself to fit comfortably on the tiny narrow frame. Some pre-race yoga might be in order to squeeze onto this particular machine.

First meeting GP Originals end March. Not long now…

#74 Heggs
Now I have finally completed a 3 year long training course (that COVID made substantially worse but on the plus side it meant I missed less) I can finally get back to focussing on racing.

With the RD 250 and VFR750 both much how I left them last year (mostly in one pieces and running) and a CBR400RR NC29 on its way I have no shortage of machines to ride. So the only thing that could bugger this up is if work now wanted their pound of flesh out of me now. Oh right the do? Bum. Completely separate to Andy, I had also had little dreams of heading over to Ireland on the 400 and there is always the dream of Gedinne hanging around in the background too on top of the classic club. Once I break free from work and finally finish welding up the rotbox that is my van, I will be back out getting in the way and more generally enjoying being back on two wheels.




#47 Hannaford
2022 is going to be a different challenge for me. First off I’ve decided to retire the Yamaha TZ350, still retaining the TZ250. My focus is going to be on my wife’s racing season as I try out this relaxing mechanic thing that Jon Walton and Roy Dale make look so easy! I have entered the TZ250 at Oulton park and we will see how the rest of the season goes. I'm sure I will be seeing you all in the paddock regardless.




#51 Kirkby

For anyone that follows my racing exploits, just to let you know that I have decided to hang up my leathers (what's left of them). It's a bit late in the day considering that the race season starts next month but last Thursday I had to face the fact that certain elements of it were no longer fun (plus there was a risk of me having to spend money!). Spookily enough this would also have been my dad's 80th birthday and I'm sure that he would have been telling me for quite some time now to "stop being so f@#$ing stupid before you hurt yourself again!" I'm also not getting any younger and the prospect of driving alone up and down the UK again really isn't that appealing.
We are starting up an Airbnb in a month or so in a property that I bought locally should anyone fancy a visit to Milnathort, Scotland (near Loch Leven where Mary Queen of Scots was held captive) plus also we are also taking on a young person refugee in our 'Granny Flat', likely to be from either Afghanistan or Eritrea, so lots to look forward to.
I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone that has made it possible for me to go racing over the past 5 seasons or so, particularly Denice who has always supported me and had to take up the slack on more than one occasion after I hobbled back in to the house. On to the next chapter!

#71 Rudd

After a couple of years of only competing only 1 round per season I am planning to participate in all rounds   of the CRMC championship with the RD250. Starting with Pembrey in 2 weeks. It also looks like i will be adding a TZ350 to my bike options. Thus will hopefully allow me to join Andy Green and the gp originals series. My main aim for the year is to get some proper track time in.

#157 Woodward

It was quite simple and plain to see. For 2022 I needed to reduce the amount of race bikes so that I had more time (and money) to concentrate on the few, especially with my son Joe also racing. With great reluctance, a couple of months ago, I advertised my RD400 for sale. I was also a VFR750 down as Joe managed to seize my “track” VFR750 on the Friday before the Croft meeting. He is the only person I know who has managed to seize a VFR engine. Fair dues to him though, he managed to stay upright from 5th to a standstill with a locked back wheel down the start finish straight of Croft. Next time he will think to pull the clutch in. This just left my road VFR750 and my “race” VFR750, (which had never been raced). I fancied going up against Gav and DW on the VFR so set about “sorting” the bike. The fitted Thundercat forks were lethal, one side hydraulically locked once fluid was added although operated smoothly when empty. Word on the street was that CBR600F3 or VTR1000 forks were the best option. I went for the VTR but couldn’t find any for sale (word had got out), so instead I bought a whole bike with “fuelling issues” to nick the front end and break the rest.

Once I picked up the bike, I felt guilty about breaking it and just wanted to ride it. This dilemma was quickly resolved when Paul announced that he was retiring (again) and offered his bike for sale. I knew Paul had spent a lot of time sorting the bike, and unlike mine, was “ready to win races”, so I purchased Paul’s. As some of you might have noticed, my attempt to downsize the quantity of machines over winter has resulted in me acquiring a VTR1000, a VFR 750 and not selling my RD400, although the VFR750 which Joe seized was now in pieces. I’m not quite sure how, but the Paul’s bike now seems to be Joe’s bike and I’m left with my race VFR which now has the front end off the seized VFR. Last week we took the VFR750s to Cadwell and they both did well, we took the SV, which besides having a tired battery was fine and we also took the VTR (turns out the fuel issues was “none in the tank”). What a fantastic engine the VTR has!!!

I’m fed up with not being able to move around the garage so the RD400 and the VTR must go, the VFR750s are ready for Pembrey, the VFR400 needs a dyno run/tweaking, the RD250 is ready (ish), the MT125 is currently with Jerry Lodge at Earnshaws Motorcycles and the ZXR400 just needs a screen. In the build up to the season Joe and I entered our first race of the season last week, a 3 hour endurance Pit Bike race. Much to our surprise we were doing really well and running second by half time, only to have the throttle cable snap (to which I didn’t have a spare). Although not completely ready for the season, it’s fair to say, for me, I’m a lot further forward than normal. Just need John Walton to pop over and weld up the 250’s exhaust. Come on 2022!!!!!

Whom else?

We have some familiar faces missing above but don't fret, they will be showing up to races from time to time. Mick Rudd, Chris Bartlett and David Williams  will be attending events throughout the year when their calendars allow. Ian Ridley is still active in the background and we haven't given up reminding Tom Flynn that there is always space for him back on the grid. Of course regular support heroes; John Walton and Roy Dale will be attending events and doing most of the work.
We are also hopeful for two new serving riders for 2022. They are busy booking ACU licencing days and convincing wives/girlfriends that this is a really good idea. We are hoping that they will be out in the ever popular junior production class on the Spencer racing donated XJ600's. As such, to close us out, here are a few choice photographs of RAFMSA team members enjoying a bit of Junior production action.